Pre-staged dual lock multi-row electrical connection system

An electrical connector system comprising:

• a terminal retainer comprising a body having a front face and an opposite rear face, said body having a plurality of terminal cavities formed therethrough between said front and rear faces, and a plurality of resilient locking fingers integrally connected with said front face and extending therefrom in an orientation generally parallel to said plurality of terminal cavities, wherein said plurality of terminal cavities are arranged in a predetermined pattern of pairs of adjacent terminal cavities, and wherein each locking finger of said plurality of locking fingers straddles a respective pair of adjacent terminal cavities;
• and
• a plurality of first terminals comprising a first portion, a second portion, and an annular terminal abutment located between said first and second portions;
• wherein each locking finger of said plurality of locking fingers comprises a pair of mutually spaced apart locking shoulders, wherein each locking shoulder of each locking finger is resiliently disposed into a respective terminal cavity of the terminal cavity pair straddled by the respective locking finger, wherein each locking shoulder terminates at a terminus and, wherein each terminus is located at a common plane;
• and
• wherein when a selected first terminal is inserted into a selected terminal cavity from the rear face of the terminal retainer, the terminal abutment thereof interferingly abuts the terminus of the locking shoulder of the locking finger straddling the selected terminal cavity so as to prevent the selected first terminal from withdrawing from the terminal retainer at said rear face thereof.

An electrical connector system comprising:

• a terminal retainer comprising a body having a front face and an opposite rear face, said body having a plurality of terminal cavities formed therethrough between said front and rear faces, and a plurality of resilient locking fingers integrally connected with said front face and extending therefrom in an orientation generally parallel to said plurality of terminal cavities, wherein said plurality of terminal cavities are arranged in a predetermined pattern of pairs of adjacent terminal cavities, and wherein each locking finger of said plurality of locking fingers straddles a respective pair of adjacent terminal cavities;
• a plurality of first terminals comprising a first portion, a second portion, and an annular terminal abutment located between said first and second portions;
• a first connector half comprising a housing including a main body having a plurality of cavities, and means for holding said terminal retainer to said main body wherein the plurality of terminal cavities is aligned with the cavities of the main body so that said plurality of first terminals is received therein;
• a second connector half for carrying a plurality of second terminals, wherein said plurality of first terminals is matable, respectively, with said plurality of second terminals when said second connector half is seated into said first connector half;
• and
• slide assist system means for assisting seating of said second connector half into said first connector half so that said plurality of first terminals are mated, respectively, to said plurality of second terminals, said slide assist system means comprising:
• a plurality of bosses located on said second connector half;
• and
• slide assist member means slidably mounted to said housing for engaging said plurality of bosses and forcing said second connector half to progressively seat into said first connector half as said slide assist member means is slidably moved along a slide axis with respect to said housing;
• wherein each locking finger of said plurality of locking fingers comprises a pair of mutually spaced apart locking shoulders, wherein each locking shoulder of each locking finger is resiliently disposed into a respective terminal cavity of the terminal cavity pair straddled by the respective locking finger, wherein each locking shoulder terminates at a terminus and, wherein each terminus is located at a common plane;
• and
• wherein when a selected first terminal is inserted into a selected terminal cavity from the rear face of the terminal retainer, the terminal abutment thereof interferingly abuts the terminus of the locking shoulder of the locking finger straddling the selected terminal cavity so as to prevent the selected first terminal from withdrawing from the terminal retainer at said rear face thereof.